How to find your Garmin Device's HWID

Why should you know your unit's HWID [Hardware Identification]? At least 3 very good reasons:

Firstly, it enables you to be certain that you are about to flash the correct Unit Software [firmware] to your device. This is particularly important when flashing an RGN file via Updater.exe where an incorrect file may 'brick' the device. So it's essential when undertaking [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] that the correct HWID firmware be used.

Secondly, for any 'modding' it's essential that the correct original boot.bin be used if it's intended that the existing HWID be unchanged, for example US/EU unit flashed with Asian firmware.

Thirdly, It is potentially devastating to use an inappropriate ldr.bin [boot.bin] when flashing via an SD card, because the wrong ldr.bin flashed to region 12 [0x0C] will in turn overwrite regions 5 [the bootloader] and 43 [the 'starting blocks'/X-Loader]. These regions are protected from being 'flashed directly' [in the way we can freely flash a logo.bin to region16 for instance, or restore the NV region 41/154] therefore the device might be hard-bricked and if it's then not possible to easily write back to them correctly using the proper ldr.bin or boot.bin as rgn there may be no software based situation.

It takes but seconds to cross-check your unit's HWID with that of the firmware/bin file you intend using. Use [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] to easily check what HWID is written in the firmware file and maybe save a lot of grief. Garmin in it's corporate wisdom has made some model series with different hardware using different firmware e.g. The 2xx7/8/9 series are particularly confusing. 24x7/8 & 25x7/8 models can have either HWID 1582 or 2077 [latter is C4 model] and to additionally confuse us Garmin refers to them only as [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] even though there are 27x7/8 too, which also have different 2 HWIDs again! Similarly [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] and [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] have 2 HWIDs, one of each being a 'C4' also. Then there's the aforementioned 27x7/8 with HWIDs of 1884 and 1517, but the US 2798LMT with Backup Camera is HWID 1884 whereas the similarly named EU 2798LMT-D is HWID 1517 same as the US 27x7 models. If you have any of those be particularly careful to use the correct firmware.

Generally, there are two easy methods to find the HWID in a unit which isn't 'bricked', and a third method only accessible in preboot mode:

Method 1.
Connect in Mass Storage Mode and look in the folder named 'Garmin' for the file 'GarminDevice.xml'. Open it in a text reader [Notepad, Wordpad etc] or any web browser. Search for first instance of '006-B' or just look near the start for this entry:

<PartNumber>006-Bxxx-00</PartNumber>

The 4 numerals following '006-B' represented above by 'xxxx' show your unit's HWID.

If you have a backup [and you should have one] then just look at that for the XML file.

Method 2.
Press and hold the Battery Symbol on the main page ['Where To?/View Map'] for ~6 seconds to reach a hidden menu [if the unit's on charge and the battery symbol doesn't show, just press where it normally displays]:

When the 'SW Ver' page shows, press 'Next'/lower RH corner until you reach a page headed 'Version Information' [some units need only one press, newer units need many presses to get there]. When on 'Version Information' page, press 'Start Test' > 'More'. That will reach the 'Inventory' page and its top 3 lines will show the second entry as 'Bxxx-00' where 'xxxx' is the HWID. [BTW, the third entry again displays the currently loaded firmware version].

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ][Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Note that some earlier units in series such as nuvi 6xx need for the time readout next to the battery symbol to be pressed to enter the hidden menu. They also don't show a 'Start Test' button, so just press 'More' to reach 'Inventory' page.

Method 3.
You can also find the HWID of any unit [even a unit which is 'bricked'] by using [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] but modern units with visible file system must be first put into [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

NOTES: Older units such as StreetPilot 27x0/c3x0 etc which only have flashable regions and don't have a visible file system also don't have a GarminDevice.xml file. Specific info on how to reach the hidden menu on many units is here: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. Generally for SP 27x0, BMW Navigator III and similar units, pressing the device's 'Menu' button will show the Inventory page once you're reached the hidden menu [you may have to wait a few seconds]. Some early units may not even have an Inventory page, SP 26x0 for instance. Those 'region only' type devices are in a perpetual 'pseudo preboot' anyway so the HWID of all of them can very easily be found by connecting to G7ToWin, as can any other Garmin unit in preboot mode [even if bricked].

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It means the device isn't in preboot when you see a USB Error message saying 'open_Garmin_USB: Failed to get USB Handle'.

Click thru the error message and it'll probably give you the info anyway if you get this USB Error: 'WaitComplete: Error waiting for overlapped I/O'.

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lponcelet are you sure you're doing everything right.
1 - Install the Garmin USB driver.
2 - Run g7towin. Clik on "GPS" bar of program and move the cursor to the line "Get GPS ID".
3 - Press and hold upper left corner of the screen.
4 - Insert USB cable in PC then in Nuvi. Still press the corner of the screen.
5 - After 2-4 seconds the Nuvi will connect to PC (you will hear a specific PC sound) and You have to tap on "Enter" on PC. Still press the corner of the screen.
6 - After about 10 seconds you will see an error message. Stop to press the screen and click on "OK". In the program window You will see HWID - "ID=....".

Hi, I just checked the 'GarminDevice.xml' on my zumo 590 software version 3.20 and the HWID seems to be 1796. I couldn't find any firmware for that code.
I couldn't perform the second method as ater pressing the "next" button twice, the screen shows only colors, no text or buttons.

Hi, I just checked the 'GarminDevice.xml' on my zumo 590 software version 3.20 and the HWID seems to be 1796. I couldn't find any firmware for that code.

Right here: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I couldn't perform the second method as ater pressing the "next" button twice, the screen shows only colors, no text or buttons.

Just keep pressing the corner, even if 'Next' button is absent on 'color' pages, pressing there will advance to the next page:

Originally Posted by Neil

................
When the 'SW Ver' page shows, press 'Next'/lower RH corner until you reach a page headed 'Version Information' [some units need only one press, newer units need many presses to get there]. When on 'Version Information' page, press 'Start Test' > 'More'. That will reach the 'Inventory' page and its top 3 lines will show the second entry as 'Bxxx-00' where 'xxxx' is the HWID. [BTW, the third entry again displays the currently loaded firmware version]................

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Hi Neil, thanks for your reply. I kept pressing the low right corner for about ten minutes and nothing happens.
when all the text disappears, the screen becomes red, press the LR corner and then it becomes green, press the LR corner and then blue andthe next click a colour pattern starts moving in the screen. That's all.
No more screens, text or anything, only that pattern moving whatever the number of times I hit the low right corner.
I bought this device two days ago, so, is it possible there's a new "protection"?

I read and checked that unlocked maps don't work on this device. It seems it was from the software version 3.10. So I was trying to get everything sorted out to downgrade it to a lower firmware version or flash the firmware and (as I'm trying to learn how to do it) first step was getting the HWID and back it up. I'm a bit afraid to use a firmware for a different HWID. Does that make any difference?

Don't try to 'guess' the firmware, you'll risk bricking it and that's a 'difference' for sure. Look at the GarminDevice.xml for the unit's HWID or connect in preboot to G7ToWin. Read initial post again..

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I just want to report a very strange behaviour of my Nüvi 68 when applying second method to find HWID.
I press battery symbol on the main page to reach the hidden menu, then pressed press "next" on right lower corner twice, and this (colors are probably different, I don't remenber) appeared on my screen !

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Three rectangles of three different changing colors.
I could only stopped this phenomen by rebooting the device.
What's that ?!?!?!?:

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